Have you ever met the Hug Machine? He looks like an ordinary child, except, he is exceptional at hugging. Actually, if you are on his “to hug” list, and chances are quite high you are, you might experience it first hand. For the Hug Machine there is nothing too big or too small, too hard or too soft to be hugged. He is on the hugging mission. From calming to uplifting, his hugs can do wonders. And if you wonder from where the Hug Machine gets his hugging powers, the answer is one word: pizza. Having said that, if you come across the Hug Machine in your area, let him give you a hug. And don’t forget, even the Hug Machine could use a hug from time to time.

What a heart-warming story! You read it and you immediately want to hug someone. Especially your very own hug machines, to whom you are reading the story. With simple language and cartoonish pictures, Scott Campbell sends us a powerful message: hugging is so good for us. Or even better, the combo of reading and hugging. Let’s make both a habit.

My younger son, and our family hugging machine, knows the power of the hug all too well. He never asks to be carried or held. He goes with “Hug me up, please.” Who can resist such a request! I tried it once, considering my son is almost 4 years old and weighs almost 40 lbs. His response came quickly and on top of his lungs. “Nobody wants to hug me!!!!” I just wonder what the people in the park must have been thinking…